My ride for the day
A string of islands waits to be discovered by the intrepid traveler, just a boat ride away from the hustle and bustle of Venice. Having been to only a handful of the islands in the Venetian lagoon, I was excited to join Urban Adventure Tours on a Lagoon Discovery Tour.
As our guide pulled up in a little boat, I did think we’re going in that? I’m not sure what I expected, but this little boat wasn’t it. But as we set off across the lagoon, I saw the charm of the little wooden boat. A nice breeze swept across us and I sat back to enjoy the ride.
After soaking up the sun and the views of islands in the lagoon, we arrived at an island so still and so quiet we wondered if anyone was around. A line of Cyprus trees to our left and a fortified wall to our right contained our little group to a gravel path. After a few minutes of walking, we came to a sign announcing where we had arrived. It simply said The Deserted Island.
We were on the ancient island of San Francesco del Deserto, where the Minor Franciscan Brothers had built a convent in 1223. We continued along the path until we arrived at the wooden door to the monastery. Giving it a rap, we waited anxiously for a monk to answer. The monk spoke no English, but he handed each of us a guide in English and welcomed us into the monastery for a visit.
The two cloisters date back to the 13th and 15th centuries respectively and now serve as the friars’ quarters. The well in the center is known as St. Bernardino’s because the Sienese saint reportedly made the water drinkable again by making the sign of cross after the water had become polluted.
In the church, special grates in the ground give a glimpse to the original 13th century remains. The mortal remains of Father Bernardino of Portogruaro lie in the chapel. It was he who led the friars back to the island after the Napoleonic invasion caused them to desert it and promoted the restoration to the convent.
We wandered around the grounds outside and admired the superimposed architecture of various centuries, the wood carved into works of art, and the stunning views across to the colorful fisherman’s island of Burano.
I think we all felt a sense of peace as we climbed back into the little wooden boat, sipping on Prosecco as we bounced along back toward Venice.
Know Before You Go
Isola San Francesco del Deserto can only be reached by private boat or Lagoon Discovery Tour. Wear sunscreen and cover both your shoulders and knees in respect for the working monastery.
Thank you to Urban Adventures for sweeping me off to the lovely Isola San Francesco Del Deserto. As always, all opinions are my own.
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- My ride for the day
Jennifer Dombrowski
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter and bases herself in Prata di Pordenone, Italy. She works as a social media and innovation strategist in higher education and is a regular contributor on johnnyjet.com. Her website, jdombstravels.com, is the 2012 Destinology Travel Bloggy Best Newcomer award winner. Google+
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We’re Jennifer and Tim and We love adventure and we love wine, so we often try to combine the two! By day, you’ll find us out on some crazy adventure like snorkeling in Iceland in winter, but by night, we’re creatures of comfort. We both work full time, so we bring you practical tips for how anyone can fit travel into their busy lives – just like us! So far, we've visited 43 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
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Ali
August 12, 2012 at 12:17 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Sounds like a really nice day. I wouldn’t mind exploring more of Venice sometime when it’s not high season, which have been the only times I’ve visited.
Ali recently posted..Weekly Photo – Ephesus, Turkey
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Andrew
August 12, 2012 at 3:46 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Very cool monastery. I have been to Venice twice, both during Carnevale and both times was overwhelmed. I have not yet made it to the outer islands, but definitively would like to.
Andrew recently posted..Dive into a Bächle
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
August 12th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
You and Ali will just have to come for a visit and we can show you around to the local spots and the islands!
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crazy sexy fun traveler
August 16, 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I haven’t visited the island but it definitely looks very Italian and romantic
crazy sexy fun traveler recently posted..WHY I DID NOT VISIT BALI IN 2011 AND WHY I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT IN THE FUTURE
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Jennifer Cross
October 17, 2012 at 4:30 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Can we visit the island of San Francesco? Or is it just a tour?
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Jdomb's Travels Reply:
October 18th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Hi Jennifer! Isola San Francesco del Deserto can only be reached by private boat or on the Urban Adventures Lagoon Discovery Tour.
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